Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 12: The Union Ministry for Power has released Rs 600 crores for Jammu and Kashmir to achieve the target ‘Power for All’ by 2020 under Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Vidhyutikaran Yojana and asked the State Government for expeditious electrification of all left out villages and habitations.
The Central Government has also asked the State to come up with the Utilization Certificates (UCs) to get more funds under the Scheme to achieve the target `Power for All’ set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for entire country including Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Union Ministry for Power headed by BJP leader Piyush Goel has released Rs 600 crores for the State Government, which accounted for exactly 50 per cent of the total project cost of Rs 1200 crores.
“The Centre has promised us the remaining amount also when the already released amount is properly utilized for electrification of villages and habitations, which haven’t been electrified even after 68 years of independence,” sources said, adding that the Power Development Department has taken up the Mission `Power for All’ by 2020 very seriously and directed the executing agencies to ensure that each and every corner of the State is electrified by 2020.
Sources said in a bid to achieve the target, the Centre has also waived off the condition that only those habitations and villages, which have 100 plus houses will be taken up for electrification under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Vidhyutikaran Yojana.
“As there were many habitations, which had less than 100 houses and didn’t fall under the domain of the project `Power for All’, the matter was taken up by the State Government with the Union Power Minister (Piyush Goel), who waived off the rider and gave go ahead for electrification of all habitations and villages including those, which have less than 100 houses,” sources said.
They added that the Government of India has also promised remaining amount of Rs 600 crores under the scheme once the already released funds were utilized. After getting the funds, the Power Ministry has called upon its officers and officials to initiate the work immediately in left out habitations and villages to achieve the target by 2020.
As per latest survey conducted by the Power Development Department (PDD), the number of un-electrified villages and habitations is 97 and 11006 respectively in the entire State.
The Department proposed to electrify 67 out of 97 un-electrified villages from Grid sources while as 30 villages located in Ladakh would be electrified through Non-Grid sources.
Similarly, sources said, out of 11006 un-electrified habitations, 10809 will be electrified through Grid sources and 197 through Non-Grid sources. Out of 10809 habitations to be electrified through Grid connectivity, 9524 will be taken up under Phase-II of Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Vidhyutikaran Yojana while remaining 1482 will be taken up under the State Plan.
Apart from this, the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, has also undertaken implementation of remote villages electrification through non-conventional energy sources.
According to sources, the Jammu and Kashmir Government is confident that it would be able to achieve the target of ‘Power for All’ by 2020 in the entire State provided that funds were released timely by the Central Government. The Centre has already released 50 per cent of the total cost of the project and assured the State that they would get remaining 50 per cent once the released funds were utilized.
As per conditions laid down by the Central Government for implementation of Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Vidhyutikaran Yojana, the State Government has to document the progress achieved in the implementation of rural electrification works (under the Scheme). Accordingly, the Scheme will serve as benchmark for monitoring the progress of various works included in the project.
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